Skippy the Kangaroo
meets Curry
Chick Tracks
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Great Testimonies from Enzo
Some notable healings
Brock, a young boy around 4 yrs old, was very badly hurt in a car accident his head was smashed against the pillar of the car in which he was riding and broke open his skull (no seat belt I might add). His mother, who we know, has a bad drug problem and was going out late one night (with him bouncing in the back seat) trying to make a score when the car rolled and launched him into the pillar he was rushed to hospital and put on life support as he had no brain function we heard about it later that week through his sister who remembered us speaking of Gods healing power to her. She called us and asked for help, this was sat if memory serves me, Sunday we purchased a stuffed bear for her to take down to lay on him, we all at church laid hands on the bear and prayed that when the toy touched him he would be raised up. She called Sunday night and told us the the doctors said there was no hope and that they would be turning off the life support Monday and all the family was asked to come down. Tabatha, (his sister) went down Monday with the bear and to say good bye. They turned off the life support as he still showed no brain function; she placed the bear on him and within a short time (a few minutes as far as I can recall) he coughed and jerked and fired up and blew them all away (praise the Master). There is no doubt in my mind he was raised from the dead :-) Wow my heart is racing just recalling the story, anyway to keep going his recovery was so remarkable that the hospital called him the miracle boy and channel seven heard about it, did a story on him, unfortunately it was shown on the sunshine coast so no one up here saw it , I went down to hospital to see him a number of times and saw his motor function and smiles and laughter and could not hold back the tears .
To keep going I don't know how much detail you want so will keep on track and keep to the point
· Wendy Marsden who you and Curry met and prayed for in June was healed from terminal cancer. The cancer disappeared after about six months about the time the doctors told her nothing more could be done for her and she said I will just trust God.
· My grandson Fletcher was born 2 1/2 months premmie and given a very dim future; if he were to survive he would be retarded in some way at best, there was a constant tug of war going on, on deaths door now lifted up and going well then back to deaths door and so on, prayer was made for him almost without ceasing from the church one account I can recall is getting a call from my daughter to go to hospital as he had bad pneumonia his oxygen count was around 65 (which I was told is pretty low) the church was meeting at the time and we called them and asked them to pray as we were going in, my son in law and I laid hands on him and prayed I saw the oxygen count move almost immediately 65 ,75 ,85 95 and went to 100 for a brief moment healed in front of my face. Just this week he had to be rushed to hospital with a bad infection golden staph , we prayed again and he was healed within a day, boy it has been a constant battle but knowing who we are in Christ gives us confidence and the love and strength of the brethren not taking no for an answer makes all the difference.
We have had some amazing success praying over toys get well cards towels and the like] ,
· a young lady, Collette, had breast cancer and the church prayed over a hat for her to wear as she lost all her hair from kemo she is home now
· Tracey had whooping cough and was healed after prayer
· Ian had ross river fever healed after prayer ,
· Peter kidney complaint prayed over a get well card much improved and now back home
· Liz had a major brain aneurism and was not expected to live the church prayed over a toy stuffed bear and sent it down to her an instant move forward, her mother agreed that God would heal her and tied the ribbon from the bear in her hair so she would have blessing 24hrs a day, and prognosis changed to “she will make a full recovery” ( she was not expected to live and if she did she would not be able talk walk feed her self or attend to her self any any real way ) well she is walking ( with a cane ) talking eating laughing doing all the things they said she would not be able to do and she is home
· Jo instantly healed of a knee injury,
· Ian healed of a termanl heart complaint and a bad back at the same time ,
· beryl instantly healed of cancer,
· Abby a premmie baby not expected to live prayed over a bear and place in the crib remarkable recovery,
· Michelle healed from breast cancer,
· Amanda hit and run car accident thought neck was broken after prayer no sign of broken neck,
· Here is a crazy one! Cyclone Yasi the biggest cyclone in history i am told was heading for the coast, a number of us prayed for no loss of life and peace be still. The path of the cyclone moved to follow a path that would cause the least damage and there was no loss of life as a result of the cyclone Wendy heard a news report that the cyclone miraculously changed path to enter the coast at the least populated point. Boy we learnt a lot from that, and are ready for the next one in Jesus name.
· Jackson you might remember he had a bad bike accident on the week end of New Man seminar, he was bike jumping and his bike fell on him as he was jumping about 20 feet in the air going about 80klm a few of us went to the hospital and I saw his arm and it looked broken to me bent out of shape etc they were very concerned about his spine and thought he had bad damage their a broken rib and a punctured lung an amazing change happened when prayed, for his arm was no longer bent and he had full sensation in his feet we left rejoicing his father got a call about. 3 hrs later to say things have gone horribly wrong and that he was going on life support so a number of us gathered in the kitchen at the seminar ctr and prayed speaking the word of God at that time his grandmother said she had an intense pain in her body and that is was Jackson’s, we rebuked the pain and it left her. Later we heard that Jackson was doing much better and was not in pain (which the doctors said was impossible) and he confirmed that the pain left him about the time we prayed for Wendy. I know it sounds crazy but I am a witness to this and can confirm first hand .
· Karen who came to the seminar had a sleeping disorder could only sleep about an 1hr per night we prayed for her Friday she slept. 4 hrs Friday 4 hrs sat she rec'd the baptism of the holy ghost Sunday night and we baptized her in Jims pool Sunday night late she slept for 12 hrs Sunday and each day since she is a bit frightened to drive as she says she might fall asleep on the way ha ha :-)
Monday, January 17, 2011
Huge Testimony to encourage you all
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Back healed and lessons learnt by Simon Wilson of NZ
I want to share this testimony for those who are just starting out in praying for the sick and not necessary seeing the results that they would like to see...
For a job i do lawn mowing and Gardening and about a year ago i picked up a new customer who was getting on in age he was around the late 80's, he had major back pain that was very much crippling him. I offered to pray for his back then but to my disappointment there was no change in fact it was a little embarrassing, but i carried on seeking God and pursuing a ministry after Jesus' ministry, believing that it was only a hiccup in my path. I stopped working for the customer about 8 months ago as he got family to help instead thinking i would never hear from him again,
Four weeks ago he called me up and asked me to mow his lawns again, i popped around and mowed his lawns and noticed that he was still having back problems so i offered to pray for him again and he politely said yes so i did, it was a little hard this time praying for him as it was in front of his neighbors, but i did it non the less. So i ministered and got him to check his back out, but sadly there was no change that i could see, i said i would be back in a couple weeks to mow the lawn and if there is still pain i would love to pray again,
i popped around just last week and apparently the very next day after i ministered all the pain had left and he was able to go about his normal life, feeling like a new man he accidentally pushed it a little too far and hurt his back again and was desperate for me to pray again, i was stoked there was a result from the last prayer and i was more than willing to minister again, i ministered and then got him to move around... INSTANT HEALING!!! pain left and he could almost touch his toes.
what i learnt was that don't quit if you do not see a healing, he wouldn't of been healed now if i had given up a year ago thinking that this stuff doesn't work. Keep ministering and keeping learning from your mistakes.
iv always figured that when you dont see a healing there is quite often a miss-belief some where in your mind that is preventing the spirit of God to move, so the best thing to do is to trace the miss-belief (or lie) face it and replace it with the truth(or truth coach) and keep working it out into your life... and never be complacent.
also you may not always see the instant result but that doesn't mean your prayer has not worked.
i hope this encourages and helps,
God Bless
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Listen Listen Listen Listen
Angelica
Go back and listen to the DHT
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Reverend Curry and Dawn Blakes daughter in accident.
Late Monday night Becky was in a terrible car accident. She was in my Chevy Trailblazer. (SUV)
Becky said that a Fox ran out in front of the car & she swerved to keep from hitting it then lost control of the car.
The car rolled over about 4 or 5 times before it smashed into a tree upside down. When the cops got there she was hanging halfway outside of the drivers side window. She was driving my Chevy Trailblazer. Curry & I got a call late Monday night from the Police saying that she was in the hospital being treated for her injuries & that's all they'd say over the phone. Needless to say we got up there as fast as we could.
She completely broke the main bone that holds her hips in place...in half. Her right foot was broken in over 3 places with 3 broken ribs.
She had multiple cuts, scrapes & bruises & lots of glass all over her & in her skin all over her body. She was wearing slip on sandals.
THANK GOD that they had washed all the blood from her face by the time I had gotten there!
The officer told Curry & I that he'd never seen anyone walk away from an accident like this! PTL God was with her!
She has been dealing with ALOT of pain. We've all been praying but today we had a great breakthrough!
About 6 of us all laid hands on her at the hospital & all pain left her body. She hasn't been able to get up on her on. But today when they prayed all pain left. PRAISE THE LORD. Curry & I haven't had much sleep before our INTL' conference started since all of this happened. We appreciate all your prayers! Curry is having to teach the conference here that started on June 23rd.
Pray for strength.
Blessings!
Dawn Blake
Beck in a neck brace.jpg
Bek with neck brace 2.jpg
Beks arm wounds.jpg
Beks hand wound.jpg
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Encouragment to pray for the sick.
Curry is on his way to Australia wooohooooo
This is so exciting Reverend Curry Blake will be here soon,
DHT - Doncaster City Church, Melbourne
Held at Doncaster Church of Christ 680 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster
Thursday 20th of May - 2.00pm to 5.00pm - 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Friday 21st of May - 2.00pm to 5.00pm - 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Saturday 22nd of May - 9.00am to 12.00pm -2.00pm to 5.00pm, followed by healing meeting at 7.30pm
Sunday 23rd of May- morning service - venue to be confirmed
Sunday 23rd of May - evening service - venue to be confirmed
Registrations: email: info@doncastercitychurch.com Phone: 98407900
SWAT 1 Perth - venue to be confirmed
SWAT 1 ( SPIRITUAL WARRIOR APOSTOLIC TRAINING ) - Adelaide, South Australia.
Adelaide Christian Centre, Sturt St, Adelaide
Friday 28th of May - 1.30pm to 4.30pm - 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Saturday 29th of May.- 9.00am to 12.00pm - 2.00pm to 5.00pm, Healing Service 7.30pm
Sunday 30th of May - 10.00 am service
Sunday 30th of May - evening service, time and venue to be advised
Contact person - Barry Young, Ph: 82788891, Mob: 0428844725 email: barryyoung1@optusnet.com.au
DHT - Toowoomba, Queensland
All Seasons Function Centre
Cnr Tor & North Streets
Toowoomba
Friday 4th of June - 9.00am to 12.00pm - 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Saturday 5th of June - 9.00am to 12.00pm - 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Sunday 6th of June - 9.00am to 12.00pm - 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Sunday 6th of June - Healing service - 7.00pm to 9.00pm
registrations : wliriges@hotmail.com PHONE 0746981157
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Miracle healings happening in Jesus name
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Healings in Jesus name
Here is the latest up date.. our little church aptly name Real Heart has grown from
6 to 25 which is such an encouragement. We have been rotating service from Mile and Dawns house to David and Angelica's . The meeting at Mile and Dawns home was such a blessing for the people who attended and they felt so welcomed and ministered to then Mile and David prayed for a man who came along to the fellowship on crutches and who had been told that he would not be able to work again. We'll he and his wife went home from the meeting and said they had felt really tired and had a deep sleep. When Peter woke he was doing things he could not do before and has been skooting around alike a rabbit. I also experienced tremendous break throughs at a recent meeting that I went to and lead worship. I made a call for people to be healed.. I was surprised how many came forward I thought maybe two at the most considering it was a praise seminar. To my shock nearly 12 people came forward. I prayed just as we had been taught at the DHT amazingly
3 people testified to a notable healing a few others came back the next day for a top up hahaha.
Keep practicing and keep listening to the DHt.
Godbless you
I will be posting photos of the fellowship soon.
Sunday 24th of January, Peter Karp was the guest speaker and again testimonies were shared
and prayer for the sick administered in Jesus name.
David is in the USA and Mile and Dawn in Perth and I am about to go to Melbourne we certainly
are on the move. Praise the Lord be encouraged.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Testimony time
Brett who was healed of cancer miraculousy also testified to what Jesus has done for him. We are doing small steps but huge leaps with thankful hearts.
Monday this week, I escourted an ex client to WoyWoy to see her 74 year old Brother. The Taxi that took us from Annandale to Central station. Was an amazing journey, conversation with the driver was intially just banter then just before our arrival at our destination, the driver told me he was about to go bankrupt as he had lost his house wife and family to gambling he also injured his back. So I asked him if I could pray for him in the name of Jesus and he said yes. So I was stirred with great faith and prayed in the name of Jesus ect .
Be encouraged! to pray where the oportunity arises, do not be put off or discouraged if people
refuse you. That is there choice, but bless them in the name of the lord for the glory of the Lord.
And many more oportunities to pray will come your way.
Godlbless you
Angelica
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Pioneering Mile
Be encouraged press in there. Don't listen to your head listen to the spirit of the Lord and move as the Lord calls you. somethings are plain commonsence and other things are a time to wait on the Lord.
New Heart Saturday Fellowship
Our twice monthly saturday womens fellowship which has now become anybody fellowship is absolutely fantastic. We had the blessing of hearing Dorianna Sgroi share her most heart wrenching testimony, I will ask Dorianna to post it on the blogg. Its amazing how the Lord sometimes has to take us out of our comfort zones, which in essence we should not have to grow deeper. I know alot of you will identify with Dorianna as I did. Our time of fellowship and sharing was absolutely terrific, although our group was small it was a group of two new people visiting.
David,Dorianna,Graeme and Daniel Prayed for Nasia in the name of Jesus. Nasia asked for prayer re:cancer. We prayed with expectancy and ferver declaring the name of Jesus with great gusto and ferver. woohoo we will keep you updated.
Betty who we prayed for at the last Fellowship is continuing to improve daily with prayer support daily with consistency. John G Lakes said keep praying until change.This mentality is absolutely faith inspiring. Thats where its at.Impartation from the prayer to the sick in the name of Jesus works when we move "I" out of it. And see Jesus being lifted up and he recieves the glory. The lamb that was slain is due his reward.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon
Please keep Simon Wilson and family in Prayer
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wonderful Testimony from Doriana Sgroi in Italy
I want to give God all the glory.
So let me start from the beginning, on the 20th Oct my wife and daughter left for Italy for three weeks to see her aunty who is not well. One day in her third week there, her aunty had a heart attack and fell to the floor , In a panic she try to contact her cousin but the phone just rang out, then Doriana tried to find the emergency number but with no luck.
Doriana said to Olivia lets pray as they laid hands on for her aunty and started to pray within 30 sec her aunty got up and said I feel no pain the pain is gone.
Doriana was so happy to see that God had healed her aunty, she rang me to tell me what had happen and also to thank everyone who is praying for her while she is over there.
My wife will be back on the 10th of this month.
Thank God
Monday, October 5, 2009
Real Heart Fellowship- Cambletown Australia
Delivered on Sabbath Morning, August 15, 1858, by the
REV. C. H. Spurgeon
at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."—Acts 4:12.
T IS A VERY HAPPY CIRCUMSTANCE when the servants of God are able to turn everything to account in their ministry. Now, the apostle Peter was summoned before the priests and Sadducees, the chief of his nation, to answer for having restored a man who was lame from his mother's womb. Whilst accounting for this case of cure, or, if I may use the expression, for this case of temporal salvation, the apostle Peter had this thought suggested to him, "While I am accounting for the salvation of this man from lameness, I have now a fine opportunity of showing to these people, who otherwise will not listen to us, the way of the salvation of the soul." So he proceeds from the less to the greater, from the healing of a man's limb to the healing of a man's spirit; and having informed them once that it was through the name of Jesus Christ that the impotent man had been made whole, he now announces that salvation,—the great salvation, must be wrought by the selfsame means; "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."What a great word that word "salvation" is! It includes the cleansing of our conscience from all past guilt, the delivery of our soul from all those propensities to evil which now so strongly predominate in us; it takes in, in fact, the undoing of all that Adam did. Salvation is the total restoration of man from his fallen estate; and yet it is something more than that, for God's salvation fixes our standing more secure than it was before we fell. It finds us broken in pieces by the sin of our first parent, defiled, stained, accursed: it first heals our wounds, it removes our diseases, it takes away our curse, it puts our feet upon the rock Christ Jesus, and having thus done, at last it lifts our heads far above all principalities. and powers, to be crowned for ever with Jesus Christ, the King of heaven. Some people, when they use the word "salvation," understand nothing more by it than deliverance from hell and admittance into heaven. Now, that is not salvation: those two things are the effects of salvation. We are redeemed from hell because we are saved, and we enter heaven because we have been saved beforehand. Our everlasting state is the effect of salvation in this life. Salvation, it is true, includes all that, because salvation is the mother of it, and carrieth it within its bowels; but still it were wrong for us to imagine that that is all the meaning of the word. Salvation begins with us as wandering sheep; it follows us through all our mazy wanderings; it puts us on the shoulders of the shepherd; it carries us into the fold; it calls together the friends and the neighbors; it rejoices over us; it preserves us in that fold through life; and then at last it brings us to the green pastures of heaven, beside the still waters of bliss, where we lie down for ever, in the presence of the Chief Shepherd, never more to be disturbed.
Now our text tells us there is only one way of salvation. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." I shall take first of all a negative truth taught here, namely, that there is no salvation out of Christ; and then, secondly, a positive truth inferred, namely, that there is salvation in Jesus Christ whereby we must be saved.
I. First, then, A NEGATIVE FACT. "Neither is there salvation in any other." Did you ever notice the intolerance of God's religion? In olden times the heathen, who had different gods, all of them respected the gods of their neighbors. For instance, the king of Egypt would confess that the gods of Nineveh were true and real gods, and the prince of Babylon would acknowledge that the gods of the Philistines were true and real gods: but Jehovah, the God of Israel, put this as one of his first commandments, "Thou shalt have none other gods besides me;" and he would not allow them to pay the slightest possible respect to the gods of any other nation: "Thou shalt hew them in pieces, thou shalt break down their temples, and cut down their groves." All other nations were tolerant the one to the other, but the Jew could not be so. One part of his religion was, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one God;" and as the consequence of his belief that there was but one God, and that that one God was Jehovah, he felt it his bounden duty to call all pretended gods by nicknames, to spit upon them, to treat them with contumely and contempt. Now the Christian religion, you observe, is just as intolerant as this. If you apply to a Brahmin to know the way of salvation, he will very likely tell you at once, that all persons who follow out their sincere religious convictions will undoubtedly be saved. "There," says he, "are the Mohammedans; if they obey Mohammed, and sincerely believe what he has taught without doubt, Alla will glorify them at last." And the Brahmin turns round upon the Christian missionary, and says, "What is the use of your bringing your Christianity here to disturb us? I tell you our religion is quite capable of carrying us to heaven, if we are faithful to it." Now just hear the text: how intolerant is the Christian religion! "Neither is there salvation in any other." The Brahmin may admit, that there is salvation in fifty religions besides his own; but we admit no such thing. There is no true salvation out of Jesus Christ. The gods of the heathens may approach us with their mock charity, and tell us that every man may follow out his own conscientious conviction and be saved. We reply—No such thing: there is no salvation in any other; "for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved"
Now, what do you suppose is the reason of this intolerance—if I may use the word again? I believe it is just because there is the truth both with the Jew and with the Christian. A thousand errors may live in peace with one another, but truth is the hammer that breaks them all in pieces. A hundred lying religions may sleep peaceably in one bed, but wherever the Christian religion goes as the truth, it is like a fire-brand, and it abideth nothing that is not more substantial than the wood, the hay, and the stubble of carnal error. All the gods of the heathen, and all other religions are born of hell, and therefore, being children of the same father, it would seem amiss that they should fall out, and chide, and fight; but the religion of Christ is a thing of God's—its pedigree is from on high, and, therefore, when once it is thrust into the midst of an ungodly and gainsaying generation, it hath neither peace, nor parley, nor treaty with them, for it is truth, and cannot afford to be yoked with error: it stands upon its own rights, and gives to error its due, declaring that it hath no salvation, but that in the truth, and in the truth alone, is salvation to be found.
Again, it is because we have here the sanction of God. It would be improper in any man who had invented a creed of his own, to state that all others must he damned who do not believe it; that would be an overweening censoriousness and bigotry, at which we might afford to smile; but since this religion of Christ is revealed from heaven itself, God, who is the author of all truth, hath a right to append to this truth the dreadful condition, that who so rejecteth it shall perish without mercy; and in proclaiming that, apart from Christ, no man can be saved. We are not really intolerant, for we are but echoing the words of him that speaketh from heaven, and who declares, that cursed is the man who rejects this religion of Christ, seeing that there is no salvation out of him. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Now I hear one or two persons saying, "Do you imagine then, sir, that none are saved apart from Christ?" I reply, I don t imagine it, but I have it here in my text plainly taught. "Well but," saith one, 'how is it concerning the death of infants? Do not infants die without actual sin? Are they saved? and if so, how?" I answer, saved they are beyond a doubt; all children dying in infancy are caught away to dwell in the third heaven of bliss for ever. But mark this—no infant was ever saved apart from the death of Christ. Christ Jesus hath with his blood bought all those who die in infancy; they are all regenerated, not in sprinkling, but probably in the instant of their death a marvellous change passes over them by the breathing of the Holy Spirit, the blood of Jesus is applied to them, and they are washed from all original corruption which they had inherited from their parents, and thus washed and cleansed they enter into the kingdom of heaven. Otherwise, beloved, infants would be unable to join in the everlasting song,."Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood." If infants were not washed in the blood of Christ, they could not join in that universal song which perpetually surrounds the throne of God. We believe that they are all saved—every one of them without exception—but not apart from the one great sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another says, "But how about the heathen? They know not Christ; are any of the heathen saved?" Mark, Holy Scripture saith but very little concerning the salvation of the heathen. There are many texts in Scripture which would lead us to infer that all the heathen perish; but there are some texts which, on the other hand, lead us to believe that there are some out of the heathen race who, led by God's secret spirit, are seeking after him in the dark, endeavoring to find out something they cannot discover in nature; and it may be that the God of infinite mercy who loves his creatures, is pleased to make to them these revelations in their own heart—dark and mysterious revelations concerning the things of heaven—so that even they may be made partakers of the blood of Jesus Christ, without having such an open vision as we have received, without beholding the cross visibly elevated, and Christ set forth crucified among them. It has been observed in many heathen lands, that before the missionaries have gone there, there has been a strong desire after the religion of Christ. In the Sandwich Islands, before our missionaries went there, there was a strange commotion in the minds of those poor barbarians; they did not know what it was, but they were all on a sudden discontented with their idolatries, and had a longing desire after something higher, better, and purer, than anything they had hitherto discovered; and no sooner was Jesus Christ preached, than they willingly renounced all their idolatries, and laid hold upon him to be their strength and their salvation. Now, we believe this was the Work of God's Spirit secretly inclining these poor creatures to seek after him; and we cannot tell but that in some sequestered spots where we had thought the gospel never has been preached, there may be some lone tract, some chapter of the Bible, some solitary verse of Holy Writ remembered, which may be sufficient to open blind eyes, and to guide poor benighted hearts to the foot of the cross of Christ. But this much is certain; no heathen, however moral—whether in the days of their old philosophy, or in the present time of their barbarism—ever did or ever could enter the kingdom of heaven apart from the name of Jesus Christ. "Neither is their salvation in any other." A man may seek after it and labor after it in his own way, but there he cannot possibly find it, "for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
But after all, my dear friends, it is a great deal better, when we are dealing with these subjects, not to talk upon speculative matters, but to come home personally to ourselves. And let me now ask you this question, have you ever proved by experience the truth of this great negative fact, that there is no salvation in any other? I can speak what I do know, and testify what I have seen, when I solemnly declare in the presence of this congregation, that it is even so. Once I thought there was salvation in good works, and I labored hard, and strove diligently to preserve a character for integrity and uprightness; but when the Spirit of God came into my heart, "sin revived and I died," that which I thought had been good proved to be evil; wherein I thought I had been holy I found myself to be unholy. I discovered that my very best actions were sinful. that my tears needed to be wept over, and that my very prayers needed God's forgiveness. I discovered that I was seeking after salvation by the works of the law, that I was doing all my good works from a selfish motive, namely to save myself, and therefore they could not be acceptable to God. I found out that I could not be saved by good works for two very good reasons: first, I had not got any and secondly, if I had any, they could not save me. After that I thought, surely salvation might be obtained, partly by reformation, and partly by trusting in Christ; so I labored hard again, and thought if I added a few prayers here and there, a few tears of penitence, and a few vows of improvement, all would be well. But after forging on for many a weary day, like a poor blind horse toiling round the mill, I found I had got no farther, for there was still the curse of God hanging over me: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them;" and there was still an aching void in my heart the world could never fill—a void of distress and care, for I was sorely troubled because I could not attain unto the rest which my soul desired. Have you tried those two ways of getting to heaven? If you have, I trust the Lord, the Holy Spirit, has made you heartily sick of them, for you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven by the right door, until you have first of all been led to confess that all the other doors are barred in your teeth. No man ever will come to God through the straight and narrow way until he had tried all the other ways; and when we find ourselves beaten, and foiled, and defeated, then it is, that pressed by sore necessity, we betake ourselves to the one open fountain, and there wash ourselves, and are made clean.
Perhaps I have in my presence this morning some who are trying to gain salvation by ceremonies. You have been baptized in your infancy; you regularly take the Lord's Supper; you attend your church or chapel; and if you knew any other ceremonies you would attend to them. Ah! my dear friends, all these things are as the chaff before the wind in the matter of salvation; they cannot help you one step towards acceptance in the person of Christ. As well might you labor to build your house with water, as to build salvation with such poor things as these. These are good enough for you when you are saved, but if you seek salvation in them, they shall be to your soul as wells without water, clouds without rain, and withered trees, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. Whatever is your way of salvation—for there are a thousand different inventions of men whereby they seek to save themselves—whatever it may be, hear thou its death. knell tolled from this verse: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
II. Now, this brings me to the POSITIVE FACT which is inferred in the text, namely, that there is salvation in Jesus Christ. Surely, when I make that simple statement I might burst forth with the song of the angels, and say—"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." Here are a thousand mercies all bound up in one bundle, in this sweet, sweet fact, that there is salvation in Jesus Christ. I shall endeavor now merely to deal with any soul here present who entertains a doubt as to his own salvation in Jesus Christ; I shall single him out, and address him affectionately and earnestly, and endeavor to show him that he may yet be saved, and that in Christ there is salvation for him.
I know thee, sinner! Thou hast long been trying to find the road to heaven, and thou hast missed it. Hitherto thou hast had a thousand dazzling cheats to deceive thee, and never yet one solid ground of comfort for thy poor weary foot; and now, encompassed about by thy sins, thou art not able to look up. Guilt, like a heavy burden, is on thy back, and thy finger is on thy lip, for thou darest not yet cry for pardon; thou art afraid to speak, lest out of thine own mouth thou shouldest be condemned. Satan whispers in thine ear, "It is all over with thee; there is no mercy for such as thou art: thou art condemned, and condemned thou must be; Christ is able to save many, but not to save thee." Poor soul! what shall I say unto thee but this—Come with me to the cross of Christ, and thou shalt there see something which shall remove thine unbelief. Seest thou that man nailed to yonder tree? Dost thou know his character? He is without spot or blemish, or any such thing: he was no thief, that he should die a felon's death: he was no murderer and no assassin, that he should be crucified between two malefactors. No; his original was pure, without a sin; and his life was holy, without a flaw. Out of his mouth there proceeded only blessing; his hands were full of good deeds, and his feet were swift for acts of mercy; his heart was white with holiness. There was nought in him that man could blame; even his enemies, when they sought to accuse him, found false witnesses, but even they "agreed not together." Dost thou see him dying? Sinner, there must be merit in the death of such a man as that; for without sin himself, when he is put to grief, it must be for other men's sins. God would not afflict and grieve him when he deserved it not. God is no tyrant that he should crush the innocent; he is not unholy that he should punish the righteous. He suffered, then, for the sins of others.
Think of the purity of Christ, and then see whether there is not salvation in him. Come now With thy blackness about thee, and look at his whiteness; come with thy defilement, and look at his purity; and as thou lookest at that purity, like the lily, and thou seest the crimson of his blood overflowing it, let this whisper be heard in thine ear,—he is able to save thee, sinner, inasmuch as though he was "tempted in all points like as we are," yet he was "without sin;" therefore, the merit of his blood must be great. Oh, may God help thee to believe on him!
He is willing, doubt no more."
"He is able to save unto the uttermost, them that come unto God by him."
He ne'er had been at freedom set."
Christ would have been in the tomb at this very day, if God had not accepted his atonement for our justification; but the Lord looked down from heaven, and he surveyed the work of Christ, and said within himself, "It is very good; it is enough;" and turning to an angel, he said, "Angel, my Son is confined in prison, a hostage for my elect; he has paid the price; I know he will not break the prison down himself; go, angel, go and roll away the stone from the door of the sepulcher, and set him at liberty." Down flew the angel, and rolled away the massive stone; and rising from the shades of death the Saviour lived. "He died and rose again for our justification." Now, poor soul, thou seest God has accepted Christ; surely then, thou mayest accept him and believe on him.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
General William Booth
“In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.” | |
Quote from General William Booth. |
